PEO Insider Issue

A Year in the Life of PEO

PEO people are so engaged in the industry that they can discuss everything from the minute details of their PEO lives to broad issues of universal importance across the PEO operational spectrum. Each PEO does things it’s own way, yet each has a stake in the direction of the industry. Listening to them talk about their businesses and the operating environment, you will often hear them finish each other’s sentences. It’s like playing a game of “Mad Libs,” each person filling in the blanks with his or her unique ideas.

It’s not that they interrupt each other—it’s just that they “get” each other, despite coming into the PEO industry in different ways, being in different phases of their business life cycles, and finding their own ways to deal with the industry’s challenges.

On September 8, 2016, five PEO professionals got together in a meeting room in Austin, Texas, during NAPEO’s 2016 Annual Conference & Marketplace. PEO Insider® invited them there to talk about anything and everything having to do with their lives in the PEO world. This issue’s feature presents the transcript of this discussion.

Departments

Legal Currents

Organizations exempt from tax under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (code), in particular those organizations described in Code Section 501(c)(3), may present unique issues for PEOs. This article will touch upon some of those considerations.

Human Resources

In my past life—probably similar to many PEO general counsels—I practiced as an employment attorney, representing businesses with their employment needs. In those 13 years of private practice, responding to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) complaints became second nature: Meet with the client, discern the operative facts, cull through the documents and electronically stored information, and, ultimately, determine a position most beneficial to the company.

Benefits

Technology is revolutionizing the way we connect, communicate, and conduct business. The proliferation of smartphones, advanced software, and cloud computing has resulted in a shifting labor market with a growing emphasis on contingent and non-traditional employment relationships. Thanks to our now-constant global connectedness, we have a say not only in where we want to work but also how we want to work.

Sales

For as long as I can remember, the number-one most-requested area for sales training in my classes has been “The Closing Problem.” These companies generate plenty of client proposals, but their closing rates remain unacceptable. What’s the problem? Why is closing such a universal problem for most every sales organization, including the PEO? It’s simple, you may say—it’s the most difficult part of the sale.

Columns

The Inside Word

The holiday season is a particularly busy time of year in the PEO world. There are year-end tasks such as final payrolls, bonuses, reimbursements, and balancing of 941s and W-2s. Along with accomplishing these tasks, there is the set-up of new clients coming onboard, as there is no better time to start a co-employment relationship than the first of a new year. With that being said, all this hard work can impact the holiday season for many of our most valuable team members in the PEO industry.

NAPEO Notebook

I went to bed early on election night, November 8, like many Americans (dare I say “most”?), expecting to wake up to learn that Hillary Clinton’s long quest for the White House had been realized. Again, like many Americans (dare I say “most” again?), I awoke on Wednesday, November 9 surprised to discover that Donald Trump had won a decisive Electoral College victory, albeit not the popular vote. Nonetheless, he will be the 45th president of the United States.

Capitol Comment

As the shock—or horror, depending on your point of view—of the 2016 election wears off, one thing is clear. There will be a new Congress on January 3, 2017, and a new president on January 20, 2017, in the nation’s capital. How will they affect the PEO industry? The answer to that question depends on a large number of variables, some of which will not be known for a while. Even without knowing all the variables in advance, we do know enough to begin planning for the new political realities of next year.

The Big Picture

With a divisive and downright strange campaign finally behind us, President-elect Donald Trump and all the candidates who won their elections must now look ahead to the important work of governing. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce congratulates the winners and stands ready to work with the new administration and Congress to address the pressing issues facing our nation and the business community.